Olive oil is the only vegetable oil that can be consumed as it is – freshly pressed from the fruit…one of the easiest digestible oil in nature!

What are the Health Benefits of Olive oil?

Some of the benefits that you will get from olive oil are the following:

• It is one of the best sources of monounsaturated fats which form nearly 75% of olive oil and you already know that Monounsaturated fats reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. Olive oil is also rich in polyphenols, which may have benefits for the heart.
• It’s a good source of Vitamin E and Vitamin K which aids in boosting your Immunity, makes your  skin healthy, improves wound healing, act as Blood clotting factor,  bone repair and building
• Olive oil when applied on skin is a natural, deep penetration moisturizer; regenerates skin cells and soften the tissue.
• Olive oil helps to build a more healthy balance between omega-6 fats and omega-3 fats required by your body.
• It has a beneficial effect on ulcers and gastritis. Olive oil activates the secretion of bile and pancreatic hormones thus lowering the incidence of gallstone formation… BUT once you are diagnosed with gall stone it can’t help rather it will worsen the situation!!.
•  Hydroxytyrosol is thought to be the main antioxidant compound in olives, and believed to play a significant role in anti-cancer properties of olive oil.

All’s good but there are so many varieties of olive oils in market, which one is right for me?

Olive oil is extracted by pressing or crushing olives. Olive oil comes in different varieties, depending on the amount of processing involved, they are:

1. VIRGIN olive oils:            The word “virgin” indicates that the olives have been pressed to extract the oil; no heat or chemicals have been used during the extraction process, and the oil is pure and unrefined. Virgin olive oils are the healthiest, since they contain the highest levels of polyphenols, antioxidants that have been linked with better health.

• Extra Virgin Olive oils: Comes from the first pressing of the olives, comes from virgin oil production only , is extracted without using  cold press  or chemicals, and has no “off” flavors is awarded “extra virgin” status if it contains no more than 0.8% acidity, and is judged to have a superior taste. It contains higher levels of antioxidants, particularly vitamin E and phenols, because it is less processed. . Extra-virgin olive oil is the highest grade available in Grocery near you.

• Virgin olive oil: Comes from the second pressing and has acidity less than 2%, and is judged to have a good taste.

 2.  Olive oil:             It undergoes some processing, such as filtering and refining. Refined oil is commonly regarded as lower quality than virgin oil; Olive oil is a blend of virgin and refined production oil and has no more than 1.5% acidity. It commonly lacks a strong flavor.

 3.  Refined olive oil:          It is the oil obtained from olives by refining methods. It has a free acidity, expressed as oleic acid, of not more than 0.3%.  There is no solvent used to extract the oil, but it has been refined with the use of charcoal and other chemical and physical filters.

4.  Extra light:          It undergoes considerable processing and only retains a very mild olive flavor.

Is it right that after 1 year, olive oil loses its sheen?       

Olive oil is like other oils and can easily go rancid when exposed to air, light or high temperatures. So it is advised to keep it in cool and dark place in a tight container away from light and heat to prevent rancidity.

In India you will usually get at least 1 year old olive oil as most of it is imported… 1 year old oil may be still pleasant to the taste, but it is surely less fragrant than fresh oil. After the 1st year, olive oil should be used for cooking, not for foods to be eaten cold, like salad dressing.

And always look for original olive oil…..I remember some years back, in Italy 23 people were arrested and lot of farms were sealed for exporting duplicate olive oil adding chlorophyll to sunflower and soybean oil, and selling it as extra virgin olive oil!.    Last year in 2011 in lot of European countries thousands and thousands of liters of the fake oil were seized and prevented from being exported!!!….So be careful about the quality and authenticity while buying it.

  What variety of olive oil should I use for deep frying?

Extra virgin olive oil is mostly used as a salad dressing and as an ingredient in salad dressings. It should be used with a food to be eaten cold (which is rare in India) so for making your regular tarka use regular olive oil because extra virgin is less resistant to heat. When extra virgin olive oil is heated above 350 °F (177 °C), the unrefined particles within the oil are burned. This leads to bad taste!

The higher the temperature to which the olive oil is heated, the more one should prefer the use of refined olive oils.  So stick to refined olive oils for deep frying or tarkas for better taste and health.

Eat Good Live good…:)